One Sings, the Other Doesn't

  • Archive - Festival 34
  • Director: Agnès Varda
  • France 1977
  • 120 minutes
  • French
  • Subtitles in Hebrew, English

In 1977 Agnès Varda made a profoundly feminist musical about the trajectories of two female friends in the context of women's struggle for the legalization of contraception and abortion. Varda explained that she wanted to bear witness to the struggle and capture its mostly cheerful atmosphere.

Paris, 1962. Pauline, a rebellious 17-year-old, sings in her high school club, wanting to drop out. Suzanne, 22, is taking care of her children and dealing with the suicide of their father. Life separates the two friends from each other as the 60s explode.

Restored Digital Copy


  • Director Agnès Varda
  • Script Agnès Varda
  • Cinematography Charles Van Damme
  • Editing Joële Van Effenterre
  • Music François Wertheimer
  • Festivals Cannes (Cannes Classics)
  • Actors Valérie Mairesse, Thérèse Liotard, Robert Dadiès, Jean-Pierre Pellegrin, Ali Raffi, François Wertheimer
  • Source MK2, Paris